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Harvey’s rezoning approved for drive-through in downtown Sarnia
May 16, 2023 6:29am
A fast-food restaurant in Sarnia’s downtown is one step closer to building a drive-through.
Sarnia council unanimously approved a rezoning application for the Harvey’s at 321 Christina St. following a nearly two hour public meeting on Monday.
Nearby residents expressed concerns about exhaust emissions and noise from the cars and the drive-through speaker, and while Harvey’s owner Okan Zeytinoglu repeated a willingness to work with them on solutions, he said he couldn’t justify moving forward with a major renovation without a drive-through.
Councillor Brian White admitted his opinion on the matter changed.
“I showed up here today, prepared to support the staff’s recommendation to deny the application,” said White. “I spoke very clearly about my view of the [residential] building and its proximity to this proposed drive-through.”
But, White said it’s unfair to burden business owners in “a shifting economic reality.”
“We have other businesses who are treated the same way that this business is being asked to be treated today. We have an opportunity through staff, having received comments today, to mitigate and in fact, I genuinely believe, improve the situation for the neighbours, based on the fact that it’s currently a chain-length fence and is seeing a high volume of traffic,” he added.
Councillor White called it “unfortunate” that the business model for Harvey’s has changed to the point where it can’t be viable without a drive-through.
“I’m hoping that the residents feel heard today, because I think they have been. If this moves forward then I think the site plan process needs to very seriously consider all options; green space, green rooftops, whatever it is we can do to deflect light and make this as amenable as possible for everybody,” White said right before the rezoning approval.
Councillor Anne Marie Gillis said the pandemic made it clear that times have changed.
“I’m not a fan of drive-throughs. Never have been. Never will be,” Gillis said. “But, I do recognize that there is a need within the community to have them.”
General Manager of Community Services Stacey Forfar warned council that according to the Ontario government’s new site plan process, staff will be required to issue a site plan within 60 days and there is no obligation by the city to allow further review by neighbours.
She said there is always an opportunity for neighbours to appeal the decision.
Mayor Mike Bradley was absent from Monday’s meeting.
